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![]() Kelly Oxford's tweet from Wednesday.
January 5th, 2012
11:59 AM ET
What happens when candidates called by God drop out?By Stephen Walsh, CNN On Wednesday, blogger and sitcom writer Kelly Oxford sent a tweet about the Republican race for the presidency that got a lot of folks asking: Is this God’s idea of a joke? Oxford, whose Twitter feed was named by TIME magazine one of the 140 best of 2011, wrote, “Cain, Perry, Bachmann all claimed God told them to run for President, and all are out of the race. God is hilarious.” It’s been reported that Herman Cain, Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum have all suggested that God called on them to enter the presidential race. But here we are: Cain’s out. Bachmann’s out. After returning to Texas to “reassess” his campaign, Perry announced he’s not throwing in the towel. Judging by his poor showing in the Iowa caucuses and the debates so far, however, many political experts think it’s just a matter of time. The only one with supposed divine guidance who’s still in the race is Santorum. So what gives? Did the candidates misread God’s supposed message? Does the defeat of a divinely-inspired candidate necessarily contradict a message from God? We want to hear form you. What do you think? |
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team. |
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Maybe it wasn't God but a voice in their head. Crazy people hear a lot of stuff and a lot of voices.
Those who mock God or His people will give an account for their own behavior and how they respond to the truth of what He has so generously provided in the Bible. That book is the foundation of everything that has been good in America. I am glad we have people of virtue who pursued the office to the best of their knowledge of God's guidance. We need someone with a moral compass to guide our nation back to being an example and not an embarrassment to the world.
I give God(s) a little more credit for intelligence and knowing "why" I feel the way I do. After all, it was God(s) who set me up in the first place. So bring on the inquisition .. oops sorry .. I meant let God(s) ask away.
Here's an important tip.
If you are approached by a politicial who claims to speak for God, RUN, donot walk to the nearest exit!
God is not supporting any politician for any office, simply because he does not promote, support or endorse human ruler ship. Human ruler ship has been a failure and will continue to fail to meet the needs of human kind. The country does not matter. The empire does not matter. Why because he is going to bring an end to human ruler ship. Anyone interested in knowing the answer to this read Daniel 2:44 in any Bible you want to use.
When God tells a candidate to run for office & they fail, the followers claim a higher purpose we can't understand .. but when a person drowns their children when God told them too those followers claim the person was crazy. See, the followers know crazy, they just don't know to whom it applies.
But yet they'll believe Abraham was told by God to sacrifice his son!
But of course he never did.
Entil'za – I wish these Republicans didn't listen to god the same way and spare us their "insight".
There is no god. So anyone claiming a divine call is delusional and lying. Anyone voting for someone who claims a divine calling is a fool.
Maybe she just likes a good show and is sitting back with a glass of red wine and laughing at us all.
God does call upon people to act. The error is in assuming that calling is to serve and benefit everyone, rather than to simply test or teach the person who is called some lesson God wants them to learn, such as humility, or to teach them the true nature of that which they've been lusting for. For the life of me, I do not understand why on earth someone who is a committed follower of Jesus would want to run for political office. Wasn't it Jesus who spoke about the impossibility of serving 2 masters?
so you think that god clogs up the political system so michell bachman can learn a little humility? rather expensive way to do it, don't ya think? would be better maybe to just turn her oven up while she's not looking and have her burn dinner for her family.. nothing like serving a burnt dinner to give you a little humility. Of course, neither michell or herman seem to have got any so far.
The Lord works in mysterious ways
So do delusions of grandeur
so does voodoo...
THeists can always find a way out of apparent contradictions. They'll just say that god only wanted them to run...until he didn't "Clearly it was part of god's plan to have me run for just a little while. I don;t understand it myself, but god works in mysterious ways."
Sid
So true. I wish I could live in illogical bliss like they do. Damn, that'd be sweet.
Could it be that maybe a god didn't tell them to run it was just their own voices in their heads? Nahhhhh it was a god.
And how many claim they were called to the Presidency by the Flying Spaghetti Monster?
Anyone who would make a claim like that without any supporting evidence of the existence of the source would be considered insane.
R'amen brothers!
none that I know of, but I did see an apperation last night while my pasta was cooking.. looked like the presidential seal to me. I dismissed it as a flashback, but now I think it could be a sign from the fsm . I will be looking for other signs. not too late to get into the race. I would be such a good presideny, fsm willing.
"Anyone who would make a claim like that without any supporting evidence of the existence of the source would be considered insane."
Agreed...and I am quite sure that everyone that has a belief has evidence that supports them. It's just not evidence that you would agree on and that doesn't make it wrong.
"It's just not evidence that you would agree on and that doesn't make it wrong."
History has proven that statement wrong, it might help if you read up on civil rights.
"History has proven that statement wrong, it might help if you read up on civil rights."
Ah..but history has yet to come up with a verdict on what we are discussing.
Not to mention my statement still stands.
"Ah..but history has yet to come up with a verdict on what we are discussing.
Not to mention my statement still stands."
Nice twisting job, history has proven gods to be man made, which is why they don't last. So my statement still stands history has proven your statement WRONG.
Just because they're hearing voices in their heads does not mean that God is talking to them. They might want to consider seeing a mental heath specialist.
I know the voices coming from my microwave aren't real, but boy, they sure have some good ideas sometimes.
There are 7,770,000 species on the earth. If there are 90% insects, and we consider them to be all very small, (which we know they are not), we could say that each pair, in order to fit on the "ARK" would need 4 square inches for two of them, plus their food for 40 days.
Since 12 inches squared = 144 cubic inches, 144 cubic inches / 4 cubic inches = 36 per square foot. We know that, the insect population is about 80 – 90% of the entire 7,770,000 species, so making a conservative estimate, we will say it is 90%. 7,770,000 * 90% = 6,993,000 insects. 6,993,000 insects / 36 insect per square foot = 174,250 square foot needed to house all of these insects, and their food. Now the animals. 7,770,000 – 6,993,000 = 777,000 animals. We will again be conservative, and say that each animal requires only 3 cubic feet living space and three cubic foot for 40 days supply of food. 9 cubic feet total for each pair of species. They say the average size is actually that of a sheep, which would be more like 9 cubic feet for the two sheep alone. So, 777,000 animals x 9 cubic feet = 6993000 cubic feet required to house them. Now we will take the total needed for the insects and the total for the animals and add them together. 6,993,000 square foot + 174,250 square foot = 7,167,250 square feet needed on the whole "ARK". (We will not even count the space needed for the humans, breathing space for all of the animals, or for the internal structure of the "Ark" itself.) Now the dimensions of the "ARK" are well known. The length of the ark – 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits". This is equivalent to a length of 450 feet, a breadth of 75 feet and a height of 44 feet (assuming an 18" cubit); or 500 Feet, 83 feet and 49 feet (if it was the Egpytian 20" cubit). (We will use the larger size, just to give the bible thumpers a better chance) 500 x 83 x 49 gives 2,033,500 cubic feet. But wait, we needed 7,167,250 cubic feet! That is 3.5 times more space needed than the "ARK" provided! And, we did not calculate for breathing space or the internal structure of the "Ark" itself. So, bible thumpers, please tell me, what did god do, shrink the animals? What new ridiculus explanation will you need to explain this inconsistancy?
Well, I don't believe in all that, BUT one answer is that there were not as many spearate species "then" as there are now.
Have you taken the dinosaurs into account? They lived in the Garden of Eden, too. But somehow they didn't survive. Did they not make it onto the ark, or did god kill them off soon after the waters receded?
Hmmmm.....
Sid
I love this, Its great!
Oy...attacking the literalists. The same ol ploy by the atheists.
Keith, I thought your god created everything in a manic 6 days. Where did these other species come from? Can you say evolution?
Thats right, Uncouth, the only literal parts of the bible are the parts that make it look good.
I am always making calculations like this. my friends think I am nuts. this one is great.we should be friends.. dkdondondon@gmail.com
Shawn, this is a great question! I don't know the answer. Maybe the animals hibernated and did not need any food, so the amount of space needed is less than what you estimated? There are many unknown factors that are not included in your assumptions, so I encourage you to keep an open mind about the possibilities. Have a great week!
@earhling- no one said that either. I love it when ppl are arguing debate points no one else makes.
God is too smart for politics.
Just because one said God told them or inspired them to run doesn't equal saying they would win or stay in the race. Most of the comments made here reflect bottom-feeder mentality and a lack of knowledge about how the Christian God- Jesus- works in the lives of believers. Take Herman Cain for example. God may have in fact directed him to run so he could expose his infidelity and get him to to realize he was self-deceived. There are plenty of examples where people are asked to do things that bring issues or truth that is hidden to the surface. You might be one who mocks those who believe in God just so your depravity and judgement can be shown to others as a warning...
Well said!
Is there ANYTHING that anyone could say to convince you that you are RATIONALIZING? If there is no way to convince you that you are wrong about all this god nonsense, then the PROVES you are not rational. Any hypothesis (i.e. "god exists") that cannot logically be disproven is WRONG BY DEFINITION. Rational assertions are always REFUTABLE even if they are never refuted.
Sid
So that would mean my atheism is god's plan to show others how to live a moral life? Did I get that right? If so, my punishment in the afterlife would be quite undeserved.
Attacking me and belief only proves the bottom feeder within you !
Just because God may affirm that it's OK to run for president (or do anything else, for that matter), that does not mean that you are guaranteed a victory. It only means that you are correct in *starting* a campaign. You may need to learn a few things along the way that you may not learn any other way, or in running you may be supporting people who need that support at that time. That's all. Nothing more. If he chooses to give you victory, then you'll see it. If not, you won't. It is those who are ignorant of this and jump to conclusions that are confused by this behavior.
This is the same principle as, "You can't steer a parked car."
... or, God didn't tell anyone anything, and they need to stop putting words in his mouth.
Well said
If God is all-powerful, can he make a rock so big that he himself can't move it?
"God" has always been pretty fickle.
"Pretty fickle" as in "random" just as you would expect given no god(s) at all.
Could just be that God wanted to show us that these guys were just wrong for the job in the first place.
Or he didn't know none of them would win.
Remember the flood? God killed millions of people and the end result is billions of people behaving the same way as those millions. Guess he didn't see that coming.
I think "god" forgot to vote!! LOL